Rebuilding from rock bottom, progress and abuse
By Ross Parkinson - Carlisle United Supporters' Trust
Well that was a tough season. As I've said in this column several times over the season it hasn't been close to good enough on the football side this season. The club have already launched a review and at the time of writing there have already been changes made with I'm sure more to follow.
On the footballing side this rock bottom must become the solid foundation on which this club is rebuilt. The slide must be halted. Callum Whelan's interviews after the Salford game gave me hope that there are at least a few in the dressing room that have the will and fight to do exactly that.
We cannot go into the National League thinking we are above it. We are where we deserve to be. On paper we will likely have one of the most talented squads at the level but without desire and work rate talent means little. Many teams at that level will relish a visit to Brunton Park in front of a large crowd we have to make sure it is a fortress, ensure that any visiting team dreaming of a scalp goes home empty handed.
We've seen the very best of our fans home and away this season with incredible numbers and sold out away ends galore. We are, in my view, without equal on those terms and I'm sure that backing will be there as we embark on this recovery.
As a Trust we have continued to build on the progress made in recent years including:
- Our new website www.cust.org.uk where you can find out information on every aspect of the Trust here and also the links for our vastly improved presence on social media.
- You can also find a link to our defib appeal where we hope to install life-saving equipment at Brunton Park in time for the first game of next season. We have also welcomes volunteers from St John Ambulance and the University of Cumbria who gave fans free CPR.
- Our Boardroom Experience draws where members are able to win access you cannot buy to the boardroom of the football club and see Brunton Park from a new perspective.
- Our other experience draws including access to the new lounges.
- Our offering for junior members has also improved with many winners of our signed shirt draws having very happy faces when they receive their prize.
- Our newsletter has also been updated to provide a more modern and user friendly experience.
- We have also added more members to our working groups to allow us to gain new skills and ideas to further improve, we thank Gerard, Samantha, Lee, Craig, Mike, Al and Carol for their assistance so far and we look forward to continuing these efforts in future.
- We also launched our engagement plan which has seen us hold more meetings with members and fans since December than in many years prior combined. These meetings are invaluable and the feedback received is vital to our continuing improvements. We also held our first X Spaces to give the wider fan base an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.
This plan has also seen us have a presence in the fan zone at every home game since it went live. We thank every fan, member of not who has popped in to discuss, criticise, ask questions or just chat. Every bit of feedback we receive is passed onto the club and forms part of the decision making process. We are intending to install a permanent setting in the fan zone as soon as possible to allow us to do even more.
We've also received plenty criticism over the season. We aren't perfect and we've definitely made mistakes. However I do want to finish up by addressing some who've gone too far. Anyone who's been to a meeting, listened to a X Space or come and spoken to us at the gazebo will see that we do not shirk criticism. It's more than welcome, it's encouraged. However a minority, on social media, have crossed a line into personal abuse.
I'm almost certain an anonymous account will immediately reply to this column with a 'witty' nickname and various other nonsense. This level of thing is easy to ignore. However some of the more serious stuff I've seen, from threats, to calls for club staff to be 'lynched' and personal stuff aimed at club staff, at all levels, and Trust board members is too far. More often than not these are anonymous accounts.
It doesn't help anyone and the messages you are sending are going to real people. Anyone who follows me on socials will have seen me call a few people out on these kind of remarks and I will continue to do so because we are better than that as a fan base.
I would also encourage people to listen to last week's Brunton Bugle podcast where Lee Rooney addressed this issue extremely well.
Thanks to all who've read this column over the season. This will be that last column until we move into pre-season. Until then…
Up The Blues!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mets get pitching boost in trade with Giants
The post Mets get pitching boost in trade with Giants appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Mets have been near the top of the National League East for the entire season. However, the team does have holes on it, especially in their bullpen. Advertisement Mets closer Edwin Diaz seems to be back to his normal level of play. However, Carlos Mendoza could use some more depth around him besides Reed Garrett. New York acquired relief pitcher Justin Garza in a deal with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday to bolster the bullpen. The Mets gave the Giants cash considerations in exchange for the 31-year-old pitcher, according to New York Post writer Mike Puma. Garza never pitched in the major leagues for San Francisco, another NL contender. The righty has two years of experience in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox. His 2-3 career record in 38 appearances, combined with his 5.74 career ERA are unattractive. However, New York hopes that a change of scenery is all he needs to improve. At this point in their season, the Mets are concerned with making small tweaks to their roster. New York's starting rotation is among the best in the league as well as their offense. When the game is turned over to their relievers, things get shaky. Advertisement Garza comes in as a pitcher who could be called upon to eat innings after a short start in order to hand the game over to Garrett and Mendoza's other relievers. The Mets will have a week and a half to implement Garza into their bullpen strategy. After that, New York enters one of the most important nine-game stretches of their season. Two series against the Atlanta Braves sandwich a showdown with their main division rival in 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies. With Diaz back to his peak form, New York is formidable. All the Mets need now is for Juan Soto to overcome his slow start to his first season with the team. Bringing in Garza from the Giants could be nothing more than another arm for Mendoza to call up and use at his convenience. However, if the reliever proves himself, he could emerge as a bulk reliever, a great tool for a contender to have. Related: Pete Alonso praises Francisco Lindor's toughness after clutch Mets win Related: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso's 9th-inning heroics save Mets vs. Rockies
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Soto, Alonso and McNeil rally Mets past Nationals 5-4 in 10 innings
NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning and the New York Mets rallied past the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series between NL East foes. Juan Soto hit a solo homer and an RBI double for the Mets against his original team. He also threw out a runner at home plate from right field. Pete Alonso delivered a tying single in the eighth after Soto's two-out double trimmed it to 4-3. New York (43-24), which has the best record in the National League, has won four straight and 13 of 16 to move 19 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 101-61 in 2022. CJ Abrams homered, doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Nationals. Nathaniel Lowe launched a two-run homer off Griffin Canning in the first, and MacKenzie Gore pitched six steady innings in his latest terrific performance. The left-hander had six strikeouts, taking over the major league lead with 114, and walked none. Washington pitchers retired 12 straight batters before Starling Marte drew a two-out walk from Jose A. Ferrer in the eighth. Soto laced an RBI double that eluded diving right fielder Robert Hassell III for New York's first hit since the fourth, and closer Kyle Finnegan was summoned to face the red-hot Alonso. He lined a single off the left-field wall that tied it 4, but was thrown out at second trying for a double. Reed Garrett (2-2) pitched a perfect inning before McNeil lined the first pitch from Cole Henry (0-1) into right field to score pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña, the automatic runner placed at second base. Key moment Soto homered to left-center in the third. He said something after connecting and then stared down Gore a couple of times as he rounded the bases. The two were traded for each other as part of a 2022 blockbuster that also sent Abrams, Hassell and James Wood from San Diego to Washington. Key stats Alonso has 19 RBIs in his last nine games. ... Gore has permitted just three runs and four walks in 25 innings over his past four starts, leaving him with a 2.88 ERA this season. Up next Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (5-2, 4.02 ERA) faces LHP David Peterson (4-2, 2.80 ERA) in the middle game of the series Wednesday night. ___ AP MLB:
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Soto, Alonso and McNeil rally Mets past Nationals 5-4 in 10 innings
NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning and the New York Mets rallied past the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series between NL East foes. Juan Soto hit a solo homer and an RBI double for the Mets against his original team. He also threw out a runner at home plate from right field. Pete Alonso delivered a tying single in the eighth after Soto's two-out double trimmed it to 4-3. New York (43-24), which has the best record in the National League, has won four straight and 13 of 16 to move 19 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 101-61 in 2022. CJ Abrams homered, doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Nationals. Nathaniel Lowe launched a two-run homer off Griffin Canning in the first, and MacKenzie Gore pitched six steady innings in his latest terrific performance. The left-hander had six strikeouts, taking over the major league lead with 114, and walked none. Washington pitchers retired 12 straight batters before Starling Marte drew a two-out walk from Jose A. Ferrer in the eighth. Soto laced an RBI double that eluded diving right fielder Robert Hassell III for New York's first hit since the fourth, and closer Kyle Finnegan was summoned to face the red-hot Alonso. He lined a single off the left-field wall that tied it 4, but was thrown out at second trying for a double. Reed Garrett (2-2) pitched a perfect inning before McNeil lined the first pitch from Cole Henry (0-1) into right field to score pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña, the automatic runner placed at second base. Key moment Soto homered to left-center in the third. He said something after connecting and then stared down Gore a couple of times as he rounded the bases. The two were traded for each other as part of a 2022 blockbuster that also sent Abrams, Hassell and James Wood from San Diego to Washington. Up next Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (5-2, 4.02 ERA) faces LHP David Peterson (4-2, 2.80 ERA) in the middle game of the series Wednesday night. ___
